2024 Cyclocross Koppenberg (C-1)
Oudenaarde, Belgium

Friday, November 1, 2024

Cyclocross Koppenberg podium history | 2023 edition | Course map

Weather at the race city of Oudenaarde at 1:20 PM, local time: 10C (50F), cloudy, with the wind from the south-southwest at 11 km/hr (7 mph). There is a 5% chance of rain.

Results: Men | Women

Men:

A happy Lars van der Haar wins the Koppenberg Cylocross.

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The race: Here's a machine-translation of the race organizer's report.

Despite a blistering start by Vanthourenhout and Aerts, no Belgian could win this 2024 edition of the X2O Koppenbergcross. After the first two rounds, things looked different with a group of five at the front: Eli Iserbyt, Thibau Nys, Toon Aerts, Lars Van der Haar and Michael Vanthourenhout.

While the favourites changed bikes in round 3, the Baloise-Trek Lions rider seized his chance. And how! Lars van der Haar quickly seized first place and never gave it up again. Our compatriot Iserbyt tried to stay on his wheel, but had to settle for second place, more than 30 seconds behind the Dutchman. Toon Aerts finished third, Thibau Nys fourth.

This means that the Dutchman has already stood on the podium at the Koppenberg for the eighth time, after his victory in 2022.

Complete results:

1	Lars van der Haar	Baloise Trek Lions	1hr 0min 34sec
2	Eli Iserbyt	Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal	@ 34sec
3	Toon Aerts	Deschacht-Hens-FSP	0:54
4	Thibau Nys	Baloise Trek Lions	1:30
5	Michael Vanthourenhout	Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal	1:32
6	Pim Ronhaar	Baloise Trek Lions	1:48
7	Lander Loockx	TDT-Unibet Cycling Team	2:07
8	Toon Vandebosch	Crelan-Corendon	2:16
9	Victor Van De Putte	Deschacht-Hens-FSP	2:38
10	Jens Adams	Athletes for Hope	2:55
11	Thomas Mein	Hope Factory Racing	s.t.
12	Witse Meeussen	Crelan-Corendon	3:18
13	Yorben Lauryssen	Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal	3:27
14	Arne Baers	Lotto Dstny Development Team	3:50
15	Wout Janssen	Cyclis-Van Den Plas	4:03
16	Daan Soete	Ridley Racing Team	4:28
17	Thijs Aerts	Charles Liégeois Roastery CX	5:04
18	Lorenzo Marasco	Sebmotobikes CX Team	5:13
19	Gilles Mottiez	Elite Fondations Cycling Team	5:29
20	Thomas Verheyen	Zelfbouw	5:56
21	Corné Van Kessel	Deschacht-Hens-FSP	6:17
22	Toby Barnes	Ribble Collective	6:29
23	Sander De Vet	Basso Team Flanders	6:55
24	Tom Meeusen	Cyclis-Van Den Plas	7:03
25	Jonas Köpsel	Peter Pane Nagel CX Team	7:48
26	Robin Alderweireld	Team Atom 6	8:23
27	Arno Van Den Broeck	Cyclis-Van Den Plas	@ 1 lap
28	Daniel Barnes	Spectra-Cannondale	@ 2 laps
29	Senne D'Hollander	Cyclis-Van Den Plas	@ 2 laps
30	Elio Clarysse	Keukemd Buyse Knesselare VZW	@ 2 laps
31	Ruben Lembrechts	Van Gorp Projects	@ 3 laps
32	Corentin Dejardin	Wilink Brussels	@ 3 laps
33	Simon Wyllie	Halesoen ACC	@ 3 laps
34	Matteo Oberteicher	Peter Pane Nagel CX Team	@ 3 laps
35	Jens Teirlinck	Carbonbike Giordana by Gen Z	@ 3 laps
36	Frederik Scheske	Vitus Pro Cycling	@ 3 laps
37	Kévin Blanpain	Club Cyclist	@ 3 laps
	Ward Huybs	Baloise Trek Lions	DNF
	Felix Paul	RSG Hannover	DNS

 

 

Women:

Fem van Empel wins.

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The race: Here's the report from winner Fem van Empel's Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

Fem van Empel has won the Koppenbergcross for the third year in a row. Three weeks after her first victory of the cross season in Beringen, the 22-year-old rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike once again crossed the finish line cheering in the first race of the X2O Badkamers Trofee.

With the Koppenbergcross on Friday and the European cyclocross championships on Sunday in Pontevedra, Spain, Van Empel already announced at the start of the cyclocross season that this weekend was circled red in her calendar. Van Empel showed that eagerness in Oudenaarde immediately at the start. After the first passage of the Koppenberg, the Dutch rider already caused a selection in the race. Only Lucinda Brand was able to follow the world champion.

A strong acceleration by Van Empel in the second lap was also too powerful for Brand and so the rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike rode impressively solo to her second win of the cyclocross season. “You know that after the acceleration it is far from over and then it is important to pace yourself well. I had to find my rhythm for a while and then kept a tight pace towards the finish. I am extremely happy with this”, Van Empel said afterwards.

“This is my favourite cross on the calendar. It feels great that I can make it happen here for the third year in a row. I worked very hard for it. This victory makes me very proud and gives me confidence for Sunday”, the rider said. This Sunday, the next big goal for Van Empel is already scheduled in Spain: the European cyclocross championships.

The 2022 and 2023 European champion wants to defend her title in Pontevedra this year. Van Empel: “That will certainly not be easy. I have already seen that it is a fast course and it will be difficult to drop riders there. But I'm looking forward to it.”

Fem van Empel wins in Oudenaarde.

Complete results:

Where no team is listed I have posted the rider's nationality.

1	Fem van Empel	Visma-Lease A Bike	39min 51sec
2	Lucinda Brand	Baloise Trek Lions	@ 31sec
3	Sara Casasola	Crelan-Corendon	1:35
4	Blanka Vas	Team SD Worx-Protime	2:00
5	Annemarie Worst	Cyclocross Reds	2:05
6	Denise Betsema	Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal	3:55
7	Xaydee Van Sinaey	Crelan-Corendon	4:57
8	Kiona Crabbé	Lotto-X-Oats Athletes For Hope	5:06
9	Anna Kay	Proximus-Cyclis-Alphamotorhomes	5:11
10	Jamie De Beer	Het Snelle Wiel	5:33
11	Julie Brouwers	Charles-Liégeois Roastery	6:00
12	Elena Day	Spectra Cannondale	6:09
13	Kim Van De Steene	Never Give Up By Jolien Verschueren	6:28
14	Jinse Peeters	De Ceuster-Bouwpunt	6:57
15	Xan Crees	Spectra Cannondale	7:01
16	Anna Flynn	Spectra Racing	7:23
17	Shanyl De Schoesitter	Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal	8:02
18	Adèle Hurteloup	Proximus-Cyclis	8:30
19	Hope Inglis	Brother UK Orientation Marketing	8:42
20	Lisa Maes	Cyclocross Team MJ Wood	8:43
21	Stefanie Paul	RSG Hannover	8:49
22	Alexe De Raedemaeker	Essec Cycling Team	9:02
23	Pem Hoefmans	Watersley R D Cycling Team	9:35
24	Kaija Budde	Rv Adler Lüttringhausen	9:48
25	Juline Delcommune	Team Wilink Brussels Cycling	9:55
26	Roxanne Takken	Off Road Cycling Ter Aar	9:58
27	Lara Defour	Cycling Team Jade-Ldl	10:14
28	Lies´L Schevenels	Essec Cycling Team	10:30
29	Amy Perryman	Tekkerz CC	11:07
30	Giorgia Secchi	Asd Women Cycling Project
31	Liese Geuens	Fietsservice-Mondraker Team
32	Lotte Jacobs	R En TC Groenewoud
33	Lotte Borremans	Rajamäen Kehitys Finland
34	Floor Van Elsacker	Acrog-Tormans
35	Katie Scott	Cams-Tifosi
36	Alana Polfliet	Never Give Up By Jolien Verschueren
37	Tine Rombouts	Individueel
38	Matilde Bolzan	G.S. Winnerbike
39	Roisin Lally	Loughborough Lightning
40	Emily De Cuyper	Asd Women Cycling Project
41	Natasha Reddy	Team Empella
42	Jo Blanchaert	Individueel
43	Jolisa Verschueren	Never Give Up By Jolien Verschueren
	Nele De Vos	Never Give Up By Jolien Verschueren	DNF
	Tiger-Lil Harinck	Cyclocross Team Mj Wood	DNS

 

 

Here's a map of the race course: